This drawing of a baby inside of its mother’s womb is one of the first detailed depictions of an embryo. Da Vinci was originally trying to understand the human body to enhance the quality of his drawings. However, he began to become interested in human anatomy. This drawing shows the relationship between the womb and the embryo by placing the child inside of a cross-section of his mother’s womb. This drawing was actually created by a dissection conducted by Da Vinci himself.

Artist: Leonardo Da Vinci

Title of Work: Studies of the Fetus in the Womb

Date: 1511

Dimensions: 12 in x 8.5 in

Medium: Pen & Ink on Paper

Institutional Accreditation: The Royal Collection at Windsor Castle, England

This invention was way ahead of its time. It essentially cuts the thread into a screw. The implications of our modern-day screw are endless considering the prominence of screws in just about the composition of most devices. His design is what led engineers to create the screws we used today. The simple design was a foundation for others to build off of. The only difference is that his machine-made wood screws, while modern-day screws are made of metal.

Artist: Leonardo Da Vinci

Title of Work: Screw Cutting Machine From Leonardo Da Vinci’s Notebook

Date: 1452-1519 CE.

Dimensions: 12.6 in x 9.1 in

Medium: Pen & Ink on Paper

Institutional Accreditation: Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan, Italy.

The thought of mechanized weaponry has always existed but the design for it has never been made before. Da Vinci’s attempt at a renaissance machine gun was revolutionary to the modern-day weapons that soldiers use today. Just the idea behind the automated shooting was innovative. In the past, there have never been wars that have used this type of technology. In the 19th and 20th centuries, automated guns were in creating and their designs were based on Da Vinci’s model. Firearms would never be the same with Da Vinci’s initial designs and studies.

Artist: Leonardo Da Vinci

Title of Work: Machine Gun

Date: 1480-1482 CE.

Dimensions: 12.6 in x 9.1 in

Medium: Pen & Ink on Paper

Institutional Accreditation: Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan, Italy.

The Aerial Screw is another invention that was hundreds of years ahead of its time. It basically works like a helicopter. People would spin the gears at the foot of the contraption to then spin the sails on top. The rotation from the sails would create an uplift wind that would then allow the whole machine to rise and fly. Helicopters today use motors to rotate for them rather than manpower, but the same principles are applied from Da Vinic’s original sketches.

Artist: Leonardo Da Vinci

Title of Work: Aerial Screw

Date: 1487-1490 CE.

Dimensions: 12.6 in x 9.1 in

Medium: Pen & Ink on Paper

Institutional Accreditation: Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan, Italy.

The Skeleton Foot is a very detailed drawing of the skeletal structure within a person’s foot. This set of drawings allowed doctors to understand how bones are supposed to related to one another. The detail on each of the fragments is what gives these sketches their importance. During the Renaissance, people were just discovering many things about the human body. Da Vinci’s experiments and observations are what made him an important figure through the Italian Renaissance.

Artist: Leonardo Da Vinci

Title of Work: Aerial Screw

Date: 1485 CE.

Dimensions: 12.6 in x 9.1 in

Medium: Pen & Ink on Paper

Institutional Accreditation: Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan, Italy.